Belhar and the human: From the church to humanity for the sake of the future

Abstract

In commemorating 40 years since the adoption of the Belhar Confession, this article traces the ecclesiological focus of Belhar and probes the limits of this approach for addressing questions of racism and whiteness. It argues that the underpinning anthropological questions, already visible in the infamous 1857 decision of the Dutch Reformed Church, remain unexplored and proposes that it is exactly in questions of theological anthropology that the church will need to find its confessional voice today. It proposes a theological shift from ecclesiology to anthropology as the church seeks to deepen its commitment to a more human future in the face of persistent global racism.
Contribution: The limitations of the ecclesiological focus in the Confession of Belhar are illustrated by bringing them into dialogue with the infamous 1857 decision that opened the door for segregation in Reformed ecclesiology. Drawing on recent theological research on whiteness, a proposal is made for how a stronger anthropological focus can serve to provide Christian language to engage with ongoing racism and white supremacy.